The next year
by hpfan95
Summary: Takes place one year after the movie/show. Jemima is coming of age, Tumble is interested, and Macavity's back.
1. Chapter 1

"Jem! Jemima!" I heard the voice of the ever famous Rum Tum Tugger call me out of my day dream.

"Coming," I yell as I jumped out from behind Misto's pipe, almost landing on him. "Sorry Misto!"

"That's alright, no harm done Jemi."

"Jemima," Tugger said, "Your mom's getting worried." No sooner had he said that Bombalurina's head shot out of our den.

"Oh, Tugger, thank Heaviside you found her." Mom's been setting me an early curfew ever since the last ball when Macavity showed his ugly evil face, but I don't know why she and dad are so paranoid now. I mean when Macavity escaped the ball he'd been injured by Jenny. It's not like he was coming back tonight, and it wasn't me he wanted it was Aunt Deme. Oh, well at least it was dad who came looking for me tonight not mom or Uncle Munku. If either of them came looking the first thing they would have done was yell at me for breaking an incredible early curfew, with dad he just wants to find me to avoid mom's rath. I don't mind having an early curfew, but I don't like how I have to be in our den before the moon rises. Maybe tomorrow I'll get Misto or Tumble to help me break curfew; mom, dad, and Uncle Munku couldn't possible complain if I had a tom with me. After all if Macavity hadn't shown himself for almost a year why a day before the ball? When I entered our den I went straight to my nest, I didn't want to talk to anyone right now especially my mother.


	2. Chapter 2

**a/n – So sorry that it has been forever since I updated this. Long story; I lost my notebook and when I finally found it I had School stuff and was super busy. Now I have it and am on Christmas Break so chapter 2 is now here**

**I don't own CATS, the amazing Andrew Lloyd Webber does.**

This Morning I woke up at dawn, my second favorite time of day. I stretched as I glanced over at my parents' nest, they were fast asleep. So I left our den to find something to eat. I crept out into the junk yard, I saw a mouse on this side of Misto's pipe and I was really hungry. I pounced but I wasn't fast enough. It turns out Tumble had seen the mouse too. I landed on his back, I had seen him in enough time to retract my claws, thankfully, we didn't need to see Jenny over a little mouse.

"Ahh," Tumble exclaimed in shock.

"Sorry, I didn't see you looking at the mouse until after I sprang."

"It's alright Jem."

"Could you help me break my curfew tonight?" I blurted before I could stop myself. Tumble just laughed as he said, "Sure Jem, I know you hate that curfew, but only if you go to the ball with me."

I gasped I would only be coming of age that day; it would be my first ball as a grown queen. I hadn't thought about what had to happen on that night much. I thought of Vicky and Plato. I had to dance like that with someone tomorrow!

"um," I managed to stammer out, " sure, Tumble I'll go to the ball with you tomorrow night, but you might want to tell my dad –" I never finished the thought, no sooner had the word dad come out of my mouth, you'd never guess who strutted towards us.

"Tell me what?" dad asked.

"That I'm now taking Jem to the ball tomorrow," Tumble said bravely. I can honestly say that never in my life has dad been speechless, until now. He just jerked his head so as to tell tumble to follow him and stalked over to the Heaviside tire and sat waiting. I got off Tumble, who gave me the mouse, then ran to the tire himself and sat with dad. As I ate I watched them carefully; dad was talking to tumble, I wasn't close enough to hear what he was saying. So I focused my attention on Tumble. This would be his fourth ball as a full tom. He didn't mate at his first ball because there were no queens coming of age. The next ball Tumble was sick so he spent the entire evening in Jenny's medical den, and to be honest that night two years ago had not been fun for me. I had spent it constantly worrying about him and trying to escape my mother to check on him when I wasn't needed for something. Last year Vicky came of age and mated with Plato. That year was the first time we had been allowed to watch the mating dance, us kittens I mean. We all grew up in the months after that; Electra two months later, mated with Misto, Etcetera three months ago, mated with Pounce two months ago when he came of age, and now me tomorrow, with Tumble by the look of things.

**a/n – It's longer than chapter one! Please, please, please review. I need the criticism; my only request is that there are no flames.**


	3. Chapter 3

**a/n – chapter 3 is here and it hasn't been 11 months! Christmas break is a glorious time. To Cassieteazer, thank you, thank you, thank you for being my first reviewer. Even if you said you can't offer much critique your review helped motivate me to post this chapter.**

**I don't own Cats**

"Would you like to know what they're saying?" I heard a small voice say. I turned away from the tire and saw Misto poking his head out from his pipe.

"Only if my dad is telling Tumble something like 'Have fun at the ball , do you have a den of your own for when the night is over,' or 'Take good care of her,'" I said. Misto shook his head and chuckled, clearly amused.

"No, your dad's not actually been doing that much talking. Tumble's been reminding him it was your coming of age, and that you needed a tom escort and he would be the right tom and that sort of thing."

"Oh…, has, do you know, anyone else been thinking about asking to escort me to the ball?"

"Well I had been considering it, back one week after Vicky mated, then I started hanging out with Electra and we mated. Pounce, I think had been considering it four months ago until he and Etcetera found they had so much in common then mated. I know, though that ever since Tumble saw you he's been hooked."

"Oh," that is once again the only thing my brilliant brain could come up with, "Thanks Misto."

"Any time Jem," Misto's head disappeared back into his pipe presumable so he could check on Electra; she'd been having some troubling dreams recently. Tumble walked over leaving dad at the tire; I don't think he moved since he sat down. I gave Tumble the half of the mouse I didn't eat and he finished it.

All of a sudden we heard an evil laugh. Macavity's evil laugh. He's healed. Tumble threw himself on top of me in a protective crouch; I felt my ears go flat to my head. More Laughter, it was closer; Macavity was close. I couldn't move; I was petrified. I prayed to Heaviside that Uncle Munku and Aunt Deme were hiding. Tumble lifted me in his mouth by the scruff of my neck, as if I were still a small kitten, and ran to his den. I saw dad run to our den in the washer to protect mom.

**a/n – please review**


	4. Chapter 4

**a/n – Hi guys! I had an audition and got into a performance of Hello Dolly and I had surgery at the end of January, so I've had rehearsals, recovery stuff, the show, school, and homework I had to do. I don't own Cats. I apologize in advance because Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer's accents aren't going to be perfect, so please imagine. Without further ado here's chapter 4.**

Once inside his den Tumble set me down in his nest of blankets. He walked to the entrance and sealed it as best he could. Then walked back to me and took a protective stance in front of me. After about a minute he turned around and saw how panicked I was and came to lie down behind me. He started to purr to calm me down; it was short lived. Macavity laughed again this time he was right on top of us and we were under the TSE 1! Tumble was up in his protective stance again, but we didn't make a sound. We heard him jump off the car and land in front of us.

I got up and walked to the entrance, Tumble followed. I was able to create a small hole to look out of; I had a perfect view for what happened next. Macavity walked to Uncle Munku's den. He went in and came out with Aunt Deme, but was quickly followed by Uncle Munku. Uncle Munku grabbed Aunt Deme; it was like déjà vu except Alonzo didn't rush in and same Aunt Deme, Tumble ran out and saved her. He ran back here and dropped her off then took a defensive stance in front of us.

Uncle Munku and Macavity started their fight, it was different this time; Uncle Munku was quicker, but he still fell thankfully close to us. Aunt Deme and I started trying to try and revive him. Tumble stepped up to fight Macavity. He lasted longer than Alonzo did last year, but he still leapt away. No one else was there so **I** jumped on Macavity's back and got in a good swing – I definitely scratched him – but I was thrown from his back as he wheeled around to try and see me.

I landed in a crouch ready to pounce again. This time when I landed on Macavity I was able to bring my paw around to scratch his face. I was also able to sink my claws into his shoulder before I leapt off to restore my balance. I was just about to jump back onto him for a third time, but a shock of calico fur beat me to it. Rumpleteazer took Macavity down and Mungojerrie started scraping Macavity's legs. Macavity threw them off and limped as fans as he could to the TSE1 and – again like déjà vu – grabbed the jumper cables and vanished.

"Presto!" Mistoffolees shouted, and the lights started working before anyone would be able to tell something was wrong.

"Oi! Evryone aright fen?" Jerrie yelled.

"Fine 'ere Jerrie!" Teazer responded first. Tumble, Aunt Deme, and I quickly followed with confirmations that we were fine as well. I saw Aunt Deme, Teazer, and Jerrie reviving Uncle Munku. He'd be fine especially since he was starting to come around.

I walked over to Tumble, who had moved to the Heaviside tire, and sat down. I rubbed my head against him and started to purr, which caused him to start purring.

"I was so worried when you jumped on Macavity. He has quite a reputation for being brutal and unforgiving," Tumble finally said as he looked down at me.

"I was fine, he couldn't exactly see me, and I managed to get in a few good swings." I replied. I noticed Tumble had a scratch on his paw. So I started to lick it to clean it, so it wouldn't become infected.

"Ya know," Teazer said out of the blue, "I don't fink Mac'll be commin' back tomorra, he could barely make it up to those cable fings 'e uses to escape."

"You're quite right Teazer," Uncle Munku said, "Deme here has told me everything that happened; if Macavity was as cut up as she described it will take him at least a few months to heal. Those Jellicles who don't know about this attack can be kept in the dark. The ball will go on as planned."

"Uncle Munku," I said, "Err… My dad also saw Macavity and I'm pretty sure we all know that he's not known for keeping secrets."

"Tugger," Uncle Munku sighed, "Well, I'll have to speak with him myself. I suppose I'll do that now." He started to walk toward my family's den to talk to dad. Teazer and Jerrie had disappeared, and Aunt Deme was slowly walking back to her and Uncle Munku's den. She looked incredibly exhausted. Tumble looked down at me, then rolled over and started to sleep. I followed his lead, curled into him and took a nap before I dealt with anyone else.


End file.
